


The Reason

by doctornineandthreequarters



Series: Iron Man Bingo [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Hurt Tony Stark, Iron Man Bingo 2019, Kid Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Time Travel, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 19:35:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19774963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: Tony sighed. He thought of Pepper and Morgan, sitting at home. Tony had hated saying goodbye to them. All this stuff with time travel felt wrong, like anything could go wrong. And judging by the events of the last hour, they had. Tony shook his head. This had been a bad idea. Why did he even think this was going to work in the first place?And then he remembered the picture.----Iron Man Bingo #3- Time Travel





	The Reason

**Author's Note:**

> So I actually originally thought of this for my series Every Breath of Me. But then the prompt Time Travel came up in my Iron Man Bingo and this felt like the right time to use the idea. So enjoy!

Tony couldn’t believe how horribly wrong things had gone. Getting the tesseract should’ve been relatively easy. The hardest part was getting Scott to give his past self a heart attack and that had gone smoothly. But then past Hulk had shown up and ruined everything. 

So they were in 2012 with no infinity stone, a failed mission, and they had created a timeline where Loki was on the loose.

Tony leaned against the abandoned car as Scott paced and waited for Cap to come back. Even if both Bruce and Cap were successful, they were still down a stone. The whole thing felt hopeless. 

“I just want to go home,” Tony muttered to himself. Scott must’ve heard him, because he stopped pacing and walked over to him.

“We’ll think of something,” Scott said. “I mean, you literally invented time travel. We’ve gotta come up with something.” He started pacing again. “I didn’t lose five years with Cassie to just give up. We gotta think of something.” 

“Cassie?” Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. Scott stopped pacing and sighed.

“My daughter,” Scott said. “When I went into the quantum realm, she was ten. When I finally got out, she was suddenly fifteen. I lost all that time with her and came back to a universe where the bad guy won. I can’t just give up. We can’t.” And then he was pacing again.

Tony sighed. He thought of Pepper and Morgan, sitting at home. Tony had hated saying goodbye to them. All this stuff with time travel felt wrong, like anything could go wrong. And judging by the events of the last hour, they had. Tony shook his head. This had been a bad idea. Why did he even think this was going to work in the first place? 

And then he remembered the picture.

“I need a minute,” Tony said, suiting up. “If Rogers comes back, tell him I went to figure out a plan B.” And then, Iron Man suit covering him, he took off, Scott shouting after him.

* * *

Flying through New York City after such chaos was easy. There was no one on the roads. Everyone was still hiding out, making sure they weren’t a target. So between a clear path and his suit, Tony was to his destination in no time. He had the address memorized after all.

He remembered the first time he drove up to the apartment, all those years ago. The building looked exactly the same. There were no distinguishing features about this Queens apartment. And yet, Tony had it memorized. Not because of the building, but because of one occupant inside it.

May Parker’s apartment had one window that faced the street. Tony landed on a building nearby and stared at the building. The apartment was on the seventh floor, the window closest to the building he was perched on. He walked a little closer and tried to see if he could get a good look inside. The window he was looking for was open but the curtains were drawn. He wouldn’t be able to see inside. He sighed and crouched down, hoping he couldn’t be seen by any passerby’s.

“Activate reconnaissance.” A small drone left his suit and flew through the window. “Activate video.” On one of the many screens inside his faceplate, came a clear view of the Parker apartment. The drone was small enough that nobody would notice it. At least he hoped not. The apartment seemed quiet and empty and Tony sighed sadly. He just needed a reminder, a small reminder of why he was doing all of this in the first place. 

“This crap is crazy May.” Tony watched the screen, hearing an unknown voice. The drone moved a little and he saw a tall man leaning against the kitchen counter. He had dark brown hair that was buzzed down. He was wearing a police uniform. “There are guys out on the streets in Manhattan way over their heads.”

“Well I’m just glad your beat is Queens.” May walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Because I’m kind of attached to you and I don’t need you trying to fight aliens or anything.” Tony realized that this was May’s husband. He had heard about Ben Parker from Peter and a little from May. It was strange to actually see him, and sad too, knowing his future with May wasn’t forever. 

“The only thing dumber than fighting aliens,” Ben said, a smirk on his face. “Is pissing off you.”

“A smart man,” May said before kissing him. Tony sighed, considering calling the drone back. This was a little invasive and not really what he was looking for.

“You guys are gross.” Tony’s breath caught in his throat. The voice was a little higher pitched than the last time he had heard it, but he would’ve recognized it anywhere. 

And then he saw Peter. 

If Tony was doing his math correctly, Peter was probably around ten years old. He was definitely much smaller and younger than the Peter Parker he remembered. But it was Peter all the same. Tony sniffled when he saw that Peter was holding an Iron Man mask in his hand. God, the kid wasn’t lying when he said he looked up to him.

“We feed him, we take care of him and this is the thanks we get,” Ben said, as Peter walked over to them. “We even bought you that toy.”

“It’s a mask not a toy Uncle Ben,” Peter said. Tony thought about pinching himself to make sure he was actually watching a younger Peter Parker and not just dreaming. But he couldn’t pinch himself because he was in his suit.

“Either way,” Ben said. “We bought you that after I worked an extra shift to get your little butt into that Stark Expo. And this is the thanks I get?” He smirked and Peter rolled his eyes. Tony’s interest was slightly piqued. Peter went to that horrible failure of an event? Why had he never mentioned it? 

“Let’s not bring that up,” May said, tapping her husband’s arm. “I don’t like reliving the night my favorite nephew almost died.” 

“I’m your only nephew,” Peter quipped. “And I was fine. Iron Man saved me.” Tony gasped a little. He had only saved one kid that night, a small boy wearing an Iron Man mask, who had tried to stand up to one of the Hammer Drones. That had been Peter? “He saved me just like he saved the city today. He’s a hero Aunt May. And that’s why I still have the mask. And one day, I’m going to be just like him.”

Tony felt his eyes watering a little. He remembered his conversation with Peter after the ferry incident. Peter’s words were burned into his brain since that day. _I just wanted to be like you_. That was more than just a sentimental comment to prove his worth. Peter really did want to be like him. Tony felt sick, thinking about how he failed Peter, how he watched the teenager fade to dust in his arms, when all Tony wanted to do was protect him.

“Listen hear small fry,” Ben said, squatting down. “You’re going to get the best education possible and get a nice safe job. Your aunt doesn’t need two knuckleheads risking their lives.” May rolled her eyes and Peter laughed a little. Ben smiled and ruffled Peter’s hair. Tony wanted to let the faceplate fall away so he could wipe the tears away. It hurt seeing Peter, seeing the child who would become a selfless hero with the most kind and generous heart Tony had ever known.

“Okay Uncle Ben,” Peter said. He then headed out of the kitchen.

“Follow,” Tony whispered. The drone, still unseen to the untrained eye, followed the small boy. Peter went into his room, closing the door. There was a small enough crack for the drone to get through. Peter sat down at a small desk and picked up a colored pencil. The drone hovered near Peter’s shoulder and Tony gasped a little.

There was a drawing of Iron Man on his desk. Peter was scribbling a small message on it, a smile on his face. When he finished, he got up and ran out of the room, clutching the drawing in one hand and the mask in the other.

“Deactive reconnaissance drone.” The drone flew back to his suit and Tony flew off. As soon as he was far enough away, he let the suit fall away. He leaned against a nearby building, letting the tears fall. The image of Peter’s drawing was burned into his brain. It had three very simple sentences written on it. 

_Dear Iron Man,_

_Thank you for saving my home. I want to be just like you when I grow up._

Tony covered his face, unsure if he was trying to stop the tears or block out the world. That precious kid, who just wanted to be like his hero, was destined to a life where his supposed hero would let him down. 

He pushed off the wall and straightened up. He might have failed Peter once, but he wasn’t going to fail him again. They were going to get the stones and they were going to bring everyone back. 

And then he could really be the hero that that little kid in Queens looked up to. He let the suit cover him again and he took off towards the sky and towards where he left Scott.

* * *

“You’re back!” Scott, a slightly crazed look in his eye, sounded relieved and a little startled when Tony landed in front of him. “Where’d you go?” 

“Had to remind myself of the reason why I’m doing all of this.” Scott gave him an odd look but shrugged. The suit folded away and Tony leaned against a nearby car. He’d figure this problem out like he figured every problem in front of him out. He had to. 

He owed it to that ten-year-old carrying around an Iron Man mask. He owed it to the kid who drew pictures of Iron Man to thank him for saving New York. He owed it to the teenager who agreed to fight by his side when he wasn’t even old enough to drive. He owed it to the teenager who still idolized him after he took his suit away. He owed it to the kid who faded away in his arms, begging not to go and apologizing to him. He owed it to the kid who Tony had felt less like a mentor to and more like a father to. 

He owed it to Peter Parker. And he was going to figure this out for Peter, if only so he could feel like he earned that title of hero that Peter’s ten-year-old self had given him.

**Author's Note:**

> Scream with me on my tumblr? https://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com/


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